Headlight-controlling device



July 2s, 15925. 1,547,490

E. M. BAILEY HEADLGHT CONTOLLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14. 1922 2sheets-sneer 1 INVENTOR Patented July 28, 1925.

ERNEST' M.' BAILEY, 0F ySO'U'Tlf-l'r BOSTON, VI'RGINIA.

HEADLIGHTLCONTROLLING DEVICE.

Application filed November 14, 1922.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I,- EnNns-'r M. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Boston., in the county of Halifax and State ofTVirginia, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Headlightontrohling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in head lamps for automobilesandv has for an object the provision of manually operated means wherebythe reflectors of the lamps may be moved laterally, so as to directthe"v rays of light to one side of a roadway away from an approachingvehicle and thus' prevent confusing and dazzling the'approach-A ingdriver and at the same timebenefiting the driver of the automobile towhich the lamps are attached, by clearly illuminating the edge of theroadway.

Another object of' the invention is the provision of automaticallyoperated means controlled by the steering mechanism of' the automobilefor moving the lamp reflectors in theV manner stated, so that the raysof light will always be projected ahead in the direction of travel, thedegree of operation of the lamp reflectors, or the length of the arc inwhich they are swung will be regulated by' the arc in which theautomobile is being' turned.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention fnrth f includesthe following" novel features and details of construction, to behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed ont in the appended claims. s

In the drawings:-

'Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile with the inventionapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring.-

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal view through one of the headlamps.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device mounted in the headlight withthe reflector in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the switch.

Referring in detail tothe drawings, wherein like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts, the automobile which is indicated. at l0 hasmounted thereon head lamps 1l, the reflectors of the latter beingpivotally mounted as shown at l2, so as to permit horizontal Swingingmovement Serial Nov. 600,906.

The rays of light may thus be projected to either side of the automobileto illuminate either side of the roadway.

The reflectors are normally centered, that is, they are normallydirected straight ahead and in order to hold them in this position andat the Sametime permit of their being pivotal'ly moved when desired,there is connected to each reflector a'spring 13. Also connected to eachreflector, or to one of thev pivots 12 upon which the reflectors swing,are oppositely extending arms 14 and these arms are connected to thecores l5 of soleVN no ids 16 and loa by means of links 17, there being apair of solenoids for each reflector. These solenoids are adapted to beselectively energized and are soy connected in an electric circuit thatthe left hand solenoids of' each reflector may be simultaneouslyoperated so as to simultaneously swing the lamp reflectors toward theleft, whilethe right hand sblenoids may likewise simultaneously operatevto simultaneously swing the reflectors in an opposite direction. Forthis purpose the solenoids are included in a circuit with a battery 18,one terminal of which: is grounded as at 19, while the oppo-v siteterminal is connected to a switch 2O by means of a conductor 21. Thisswitch includes a plurality of controlling levers indicated at 22, 23and 24.. The first mentioned lever is connected in a circuit 25 with thereflector'. The controlling lever 24,

or' switch arm forms a part of a rlieostat switch which includes coils26 and 27, the former being 4connected to both of the solenoids 16a bymeans of conductors 28 and 29. The coil 27 connected to the solenoids 16by means of conductors 30 and 3l.

:Included in circuit with the solenoids is a second rheostat switch 32,whose switch arm 33 is operated by the steering mechanism of theautomobile as clearly sho-wn at 34 in Figure 5 of the drawings. Theswitch arm 33 is capable of movement in opposite directions, itsdirection of movement being controlled by the direction of movement ofthe steering mechanism. The rheostat switch 32 also includes separatecoils 35 and 36, the former being connected to the conductor 29 by meansof a conductor 37, while the latter is connected to the conductor 3l bymeans of a conductor 38. The switch arm 33 is connected by means of aconductor 39 to a contact 40 which is adapted to be engaged by theswteliarm 23- Should it be desirable to swing the lamp reflectorslaterally, to either side of the roadway, Jfor example, to the rightwhen appreaching a vhicle traveling in an opposite direction so as tovdirect the rays of light away from the eyes of the approaching driver,the switch arm 211 may be manually moved to the right to engage theresistance coil 27, whereupon current will flow from the battery 18through the conductor 21, the arm 24, the coil 27, the conductor 30, theconductor 31. All of the solenoids are grounded as indicated at 41 sothat current from the solenoids 16 will return to the battery throughthe grounds d1 and 19. rIhe solenoids 16 will then be energized toactuate the cores 15 and move the lamp reflectors pivotally to theright, the degree of movement depending upon the amount of theresistance 27 cut out by the position of the switch arm 24. In order toswing the lamp reflectors in an opposite direction or toward the left,the switch arm is engaged with the resistance coil 26 of the rheostatswitch, so that the solenoids 16a will be energized, as will be plainlyseen.

One of the novel features of the invention resides in means forautomatically swinging the head lamp reflectors, the said means beingcontrolled by the steering mechanism of the automobile so that the raysof light will always be directed in the direction of travel. For thispurpose the second rheostat switch 32 is operated by the means 34edisclosed in Figure 5 of the drawings and when the steering mechanism isoperated to turn the automobile to the right,

the switch arm 33 will engage the coil 36.

of the rheo-stat switch 32, so that current will flow from the battery18 through the conductor 21, the switch arm 23, (which is in closedposition) the conductor 39, the switch arm 33, the coil 36, theconductor 38, the conductor 31 to the solenoids 16, so that the cores 15of these solenoids will be operated. Current will return to the batterythrough the grounds 41 and 19. As the amount of resistance or the coil36 `which is cut out is regulated by the degree of the arc in which theautomomile is being turned, the strength of the current passing throughthe solenoids 16 will be controlled, so that the degree of movement ofthe lamp refiectors 11 will be likewise controlled.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved tomake 'such changes as properly fall within the scope of theappendedclaims.

I-Iaving described the invention what is claimed is 1. A head-lightcontrolling device of the character described including a pair ofcentrally pivotally mounted reiiectors arranged within the head lamps ofan automobile, a pair of solcnoids arranged within each head lamp andhaving pivotally associated means connected with the lower pivotal pointof the reflectors, means included in circuit with the source of currentand head lamps for illuminating the same, a manually operated switch armincluded in circuit therein in order to move the reflectors to eitherside within the head lamps, and automatically operated switching meansincluded within the steering post of the vehicle in order that theredectors may be moved laterally with respect to the turnings of thesteering post.

2. A head light controlling device of the character described includinga pair of pivotally mounted centrally positioned refiectors arranged:for lateral movement within the head lamps, retractile means includedupon the outer face of each reflector and connected with the lampcasing, for centering di" the reflectors therein, spaced pairs ofsolenoids arranged upon the lower and inner sides of the lamp casings,pairsof pivotally associated link members having their outer endportions lfixed to the lower pivotal point of the reflectors, a manuallyoperated switch included in circuit with a source of current and thehead lamp for illuminating the same, a manually operated switch includedin circuit therewith for selectively turning the refiectors laterallywithin the head lamps and an automatically operated switch arm includedon the steering post of the automobile whereby upon the opposite turningof the steering wheel the automatically operated switch arm includedtherein will se lectively engage any one of a pair of spaced cont-actsarranged therein and included in circuit with the solenoids arrangedwithin the head lamps in order to selectively turn the reflectors eitherto the right or left with in the head lamps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERNEST M. BAILEY.

